Until now, graphic artists and designers have prepared images for processing using a variety of separate, single-function tools. Visual cropping, for example, has been accomplished by placement of a plurality of rulers (or other straight edge devices) on an image so as to obscure portions of the image from view. This procedure has required careful alignment of the image on a table, and of the rulers on the image so as to ensure that the visually cropped image will be "square". Measuring the dimensions of the cropped image also has required careful alignment of the rulers, such dimensions generally being taken by measuring the distance between a pair of rulers which define opposite borders of a cropped image therebelow. The rulers must be held in position simultaneously, adding further to the difficulty of the task.
After the image has been visually cropped and measured, it has been conventional to calculate a reduction/enlargement percentage, such percentage corresponding to a desired change in the image's size. The calculation of such reduction/enlargement percentage previously has been accomplished using a "proportion wheel", a device which is manipulatable to identify the reduction/enlargement percentage by setting a measured dimension and a corresponding desired dimension on the wheel. In a somewhat related practice which does not involve cropping, but rather just measuring and scaling, a linear ruler has been used for the measuring activity and thereafter, the same kind of scaling wheel just mentioned has been used for the calculating activity. In both prior art practices therefore, the designer must manipulate two tools to accomplish the desired end results.
It would be desirable to provide a system which does not require the manipulation of a variety of different tools. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a system which, where cropping is desired, allows such to be accomplished easily visually without requiring precise alignment of rulers, and with respect to scaling, enables the same without necessitating the use of a separate calculating device.